Multi-billion dollar Western Sydney Airport set for construction take-off

Construction of Sydney’s second airport has been given a green light, with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Federal Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher signing off on plans for the estimated $3 billion Badgerys Creek airport.

Stage one of the Western Sydney Airport at Badgerys Creek is expected to be operational by mid-2020 and it will be running with a single runway as well as facilities that can accommodate up to 10 million passengers annually.

“There’ll be a 3,700-metre runway up to and including an airbus 380.

“There’ll be a terminal that will cater for up to 10 million passengers a year – that is the traffic levels we expect to get by the early to mid 2030s,” Mr Fletcher said.

According to Mr Fletcher, the Western Sydney Airport will bring in tonnes of benefits for the city as well as the nation.

“For some two million people it will be closer than Kingsford Smith (Sydney) Airport,” said Mr Fletcher.

Mr Fletcher also said that the new airport will be a major generator of jobs as well as economic activity in the region when the project begins construction and once the Western Sydney Airport is fully operational.

“By 2030 it is expected to generate around 9,000 jobs,” said Mr Fletcher.

Construction is expected to begin in 2018 after the site for the new Western Sydney Airport has been cleared and levelled.